In the Cave,
All the soldiers limped and slumped down to sit. There was a vacant look as though they had renounced everything and were sitting facing the north direction inviting the God of Death, Yama, himself to come and take them along with him. They knew it was all over. They were all weary and bone-tired. A sense of apathy had spread and taken over everyone in its dreaded grip like a fearful scourge.

The two lamps lit in front of the statue of Goddess Kali by the priest before retiring for the night had flashed and flickered with one last burst of energy before they completely died down. The darkness was closing in. Nobody could see even the back of their own hands. But it was nothing to the darkness that had taken root in their hearts and souls. The very reason to fight seemed to have eluded their grasp.

Aparaajitha sat where she was like a statue. Her mind kept replaying all those happier times she had spent with Malli continuously. She smiled and laughed occasionally. But she had completely lost her connection with her external surroundings. She did not want to come outside this bubble where her dear friend did not exist.

The same thing had happened years and years ago. She started losing everyone, one by one. The same cycle was repeating itself again. Mrithyunjay sat beside her holding her hands and looking into her eyes. Malli's loss was a grave one. He mourned her loss too. But Aparaajitha's present condition disturbed him greatly.

Mrithyunjay slowly raised himself up. He was also sore, tired, wounded and bleeding just like everyone around him. But his spirit was not broken. He had promised his mother and motherland, "I, Mrithyunjay Varma, son of Senapathi Bhairava Varma and Katyayani swear on my mother and motherland that I will return one day for my mother and motherland, strong like the mountains, swift like the wind, and all-consuming like the fire. I will sweep away everything in my path or else I am not a true Kshatriya!"

His father, Bhairava Varma had promised their dying king that he would help in reinstating Bhagiradhi on the throne of Mahishmati. His father wasn't in a position to fulfill that promise due to his imprisonment. But he  was. It was his duty to fulfill his father's word. 

He limped and shuffled his way to the lamps and relit them. All the soldiers briefly looked up with interest and curiosity. He uprooted the Trishul(trident) in front of Goddess Kali's statue. It revealed a secret compartment six feet long and six feet deep. It contained several documents, manuscripts and memoirs. It also held a huge sword inscribed with the rising sun and the face of a horse as its handle.

Mrithyunjay took the sword in his hand and examined it. The light from the lamps fell on the smooth and shinning edges of the metal handle and momentarily dazzled everyone with its brilliance. A round of excited whispers emanated from the older and experienced soldiers.

"Isn't that the famed sword of Amarendra Baahubali?..."

"Later on,Mahendra Baahubali's too..."

"I never thought I would see it with my own eyes...."

"So this was where it was kept..."

Mrithyunjay humbly placed the sword at the feet of the mother goddess. Addressing Aparaajitha, his voice hardly a whisper, he said, "Your grandfather's sword. Your father's too. Don't you want to pick it up this moment and behead the heads of all those who have defiled your sacred motherland?"

All the soldiers rose up in unison. Aparaajitha sat unmoving like a statue. He raised the tone of his voice.

"Don't you want to avenge your friend's death? For God's sake she lost her life trying to save yours."

Except the pencil-thin line of tears that trickled down her cheeks, Aparaajitha showed no signs of hearing or even moving.

"How long are you going to mourn like this?"

There was no answer. Her eyes started turning red with anger.

"Are you listening to me? People die everyday. Life goes on..."

His lips quivered and trembled. His throat became parched. He stopped for a moment as though hesitating whether to speak the next few words he was about to say.

"You are Aparaajitha, aren't you? Aparaajitha- The Strong! Aparaajitha-The Invincible! People just trample over you and your motherland and you sit there unmoving like a statue. Are you really the scion of Mahendra Baahubali? Are you really the granddaughter of the legendary Amarendra Baahubali? No, you are some changeling."

Aparaajitha rose to her full height, her head held up, her eyes flashing red and her nostrils flaring with anger. She bowed before the mother goddess as she lifted the legendary sword placed at her feet. She cut her thumb and offered the blood oozing from it.

"I, daughter of Mahendra Baahubali and granddaughter of Amarendra Baahubali, christened Bhagiradhi by my parents after the life-giving river in my motherland, rechristened Aparaajitha- The Invincible by the people whom I represent, declare war against the enemies of Mahishmati. I offer my own blood as a sacrificial oblation before Mother Kali seeking the victory of my people. Do or die!"

Taking the cue from her, the soldiers around her started chanting, "Do or die."

The crescendo of voices started multiplying and reverberating in the silent cave making the stones and boulders covering the mouth of the cave to shake and quiver due to the vibration. As though in answer to their prayers, the earth started rumbling. Severe tremors and shock waves shook the apex of the cave. Cracks and chasms in between the stones and boulders widened.

Subahu's soldiers who were standing guard outside the cave were seen running helter-skelter, "Never seen or heard such things. Must be the end of the world."

After a few moments, everything settled down. There was a gaping hole at the entrance of the cave. A few of the boulders had rolled off due to the mild earthquake. The cave and the idol of the Mother Goddess had however withstood the ravages. Subahu's men had fled as soon as the earthquake struck.

They were all free once again. They humbly bowed before the Mother Goddess in gratitude. Aparaajitha ordered, "We have to  reach Sankaleshwar in Vijayapuri before two more sunsets. Carefully collect all the secret documents. Let's all leave from here before Subahu's men decide to come back."

"Yes, all of you", Mrithyunjay said.

Aparaajitha stopped in her tracks, "You are also coming with us."

Mrithyunjay slowly shook his head. Aparaajitha asked, "If you aren't coming with us, where are you going?"

"Kanchu Kota!"

Aparaajitha did not say anything. She had seen this coming. She hugged him tightly, "May God be with you in all your endeavors.  Our respective duties dictate that we part here. But we will meet again."

He agreed, "Yes. I will look forward to that day."

Mrithyunjay glimpsed at the retreating backs of the love of his life and his comrades before he started walking in the direction where Kanchu Kota lay.